1. Eight First Aid Fallacies Its easy to confuse medical fallacies with facts when an emergency occurs.

And knowing the right thing to do is more important than ever because emergency room waiting times get longer and longer the current national average is almost one hour, and some patients actually have to wait an astounding twenty-four hours. When you add in the time it takes to get to the ER to begin with, proper first aid can be critical. Heres a list of eight Fallacies and Facts from expert sources such as the Mayo Clinic to always keep in mind. (And never forget that the first rule of first aid is the same one physicians follow: First, do no harm.): 1) A severe burn. The usual error is to try to put something on a burn, whether its ice or butter. The best thing for a minor burn, or even a first or second-degree burn, is to immediately cool the area down with cold running water. Cover the burn with loose gauze not cotton or anything fuzzy and go to the ER. 2) Electrical burns. The potential fatal error here is failing to go to the ER immediately, since there is often no evidence of injury. Electrical burns, however, can cause hidden injury deep within the body. Just remember that electrical burns are double-barreled, causing injury by heating as well as by the passage of electric current itself through tissues. 3) A knocked-out tooth. A common mistake is to scrub the tooth. The best thing is to drop the tooth in a glass of milk and head to the ER, where it might be reimplanted. 4) Severed finger. In these days of chainsaws and electric carving knives, its easy to lop off the end of a finger. The error here is to put the severed part on ice. The correct procedure is to put the part in a water proof bag, and then place the bag itself on ice before going to the ER. 5) Nosebleed. The fallacy in treating nosebleeds is to lean back. The proper treatment is to lean forward instead of backward, and to pinch your nose just below the nasal bone and hold it for five to ten minutes. If bleeding persists, go to the ER. 6) Ankle Sprain. The wrong thing in this case is heat put away the heating pad and get out the ice pack. Also, ibruprofen or other NSAIDs are recommended to help reduce inflammation and swelling. If your ankle wont bear weight, you may have a fracture, and you ma y need a trip to the ER. 7) Poison. The biggest fallacy is to administer syrup of ipecac to induce vomiting. The right thing is to get the victim to the ER together with the container of whatever poison was ingested. These days, ER doctors will often give the victim activated charcoal to bind the poison in the stomach and keep it from entering the bloodstream. 8) Seizures of Any Kind. The worst error is to put something in the victims mouth. The recommendation here is to put the victim onto his or her side, and call 911. Important Note: Other times you should immediately call 911 instead of trying to transport someone to the ER are cases of chest pain, profuse and uncontrollable bleeding, shortness of breath, and confusion.